A full bench of the ECP, headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) former Justice Sardar Mohammad Raza Khan, on Wednesday heard five identical petitions seeking the disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Four of the petitions have sought Prime Minister’s disqualification and the one filed by Pakistan Peoples Party seeks the disqualification of Prime Minister Sharif and other members of his family, including Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Hamza Shahbaz, Captain Mohammad Safdar (Retd) and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.

Latif Khosa contended before the ECP bench that Prime Minister set up offshore companies when his children were teens.

The PM was owner of the companies exposed by the Panama Papers, but he lied and concealed his assets in nomination papers, therefore he must be disqualified.

The ECP issued notices to all whose names were mentioned in the references with directives to submit their replies in disqualification case not later than September 6.

Earlier, the CEC informed the media that the ECP also served a notice to Senator Liaqat Tarakai after his name surfaced in the Panama Papers and ANP’s Senator Bushra Gohar sought his disqualification.

While talking to media, Latif Khosa said Nawaz Sharif was no more eligible to remain the Prime Minister under Articles 62 and 63 of the constitution.

Articles 62 and 63 state that a person has to be Sadiq and Ameen (honest and truthful) in order to become the prime minister of the country.

Pakistan Muslim League (N) Member Talal Chaudhry told media after the hearing that Imran Khan wanted disqualification of Nawaz Sharif because he could not compete with the Prime Minister.

He said references against Prime Minister were not new thing. PML-N leader Danyal Aziz talking to media advised Imran Khan that he should stop dreaming about taking the slot of Prime Minister. -Business Recorder